PSA: Warning after spate of luxury watch thefts by women in southern England

[hogthrob]

Seen on the Guardian website this evening. Has all the hallmarks of a Facebook fake scare story, but I'll share it anyway, just in case.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...uthern-england

[abraxas]

Rolex Rippers...

[Mouse]

This is all the fault of Rolex. If their watches sold for just a few hundred pounds, then thieves would not be so tempted and the problem would largely disappear

[mtagrant]

I have heard about this happening in my village in Hampshire in the past few weeks - two women trying to steal a Rolex from an older guy who realised what they were trying to do and called for help.

[Ray_Singh]

Not wanting to make this a political thread, but the country is in a bad way after the pandemic, lots of job losses and people struggling to make a living. The easiest thing to do (by some) is to take what is not theirs. The number of cyber scams has increased at an astronomical rate and thefts are on the rise.
Be careful out there.

[Gerald Genta]

I have heard about this happening in my village in Hampshire in the past few weeks - two women trying to steal a Rolex from an older guy who realised what they were trying to do and called for help.

I suspect I am relatively local to you as a couple of my friends have told me about this event. From what I understand the gentleman was fortunate enough to realise what was going on and create enough attention to scare them off. Very surprising to hear of it happening in relatively quiet villages!

[mtagrant]

I suspect I am relatively local to you as a couple of my friends have told me about this event. From what I understand the gentleman was fortunate enough to realise what was going on and create enough attention to scare them off. Very surprising to hear of it happening in relatively quiet villages!

Sounds like the same thing - this was the post shared in our local village FB group:

**PLEASE SHARE!**
Whilst out on a walk this morning in Bishops Waltham at 10.45 just opposite the duck pond, two Eastern Europe ladies attempted to steal my grandads Rolex. They had been following my grandparents around Bishops Waltham before the incident, then approached them claiming they were doing a questionnaire.

Whilst trying to distract them, one of the woman managed to un clip the watch and started to shake his arm vigorously. Thankfully he managed to pull his arm away shouting ‘MY WATCH’ and the two women ran off.

Both grandparents are very shaken up.

This sounds like it could be the same two ladies that stole the mans Rolex in Waltham Chase last week so if anyone could put me in contact with a family member of the man to see if descriptions match up.

[Gerald Genta]

Sounds like the same thing - this was the post shared in our local village FB group:

Same event. I live about 10 mins away from Bishops Waltham just never thought I'd have to take into consideration what's on my wrist when going for breakfast at Josies!

The positive is it sounds like a one off (in the sense its the same people) with the two women moving along from village to village and there are clear descriptions / cctv of them so can only be a matter of time until they're caught, you would hope.

[jukeboxs]

Another repeat thread today - don't folk scan the page before posting?
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?498137

[trott3r]

In metro paper Friday.
The two were either Spanish or east European

[v15hal]

Not wanting to make this a political thread, but the country is in a bad way after the pandemic, lots of job losses and people struggling to make a living. The easiest thing to do (by some) is to take what is not theirs. The number of cyber scams has increased at an astronomical rate and thefts are on the rise.
Be careful out there.

I am inclined to agree. There has been a dramatic increase in crime. On the flip side I've not heard of many break in's in our area recently, I am assuming this is due to the increase of home working.

During the lockdown we've had a catalytic converter stolen, a mountain bike, the wing mirrors off my previous car and a pressure washer.

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

[David_D]

Daily Telegraph Saturday 25/9/2021

Pair of female thieves called ‘Rolex Rippers’ strike again

A PAIR of female thieves nicknamed the “Rolex Rippers” have struck again after a wealthy elderly man had his watch stolen.

The man, in his 80s, is the latest victim of two women targeting men in affluent areas and close to golf clubs in southern England. It is believed to be at least the 21st incident since May, with the pair, thought to be in their 20s, targeting men in Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, Gloucestershire and Sussex. In many cases, the women have posed as charity workers with clipboards and stolen watches from their victims without them realising as they sign a petition.
The pair approached the man outside his home, next to the £2,000-a-year Parkstone Golf Club in Poole, at lunchtime on Tuesday. The women, whom police say have dark hair and eastern European accents, asked him to sign a petition and then one of the women thanked and hugged him. He did not notice until a few minutes later that his watch was gone.